The King Arthur Complex
by Juanita Songfalls
Summary: Formerly called Jasmine. Did Lily marry the wrong Marauder? A James/Lily/Sirius fic. Part 2 of 4 now up. PG for mild swearing. See if you can find the connection to Arthurian legend ... maybe I'm the only one who sees it ...
1. Four Little Words

SIGNED IN HIS HAND

Yay! My first Harry Potter fic! And it's not even about Harry! No Winter, you haven't completely lost me yet …

**__**

JASMINE

Four Little Words

__

October 25, 1977

Lily walked down a deserted corridor in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Although she was no longer a student, having graduated two years earlier, the school was now the base of an elite military team, above the wizarding government. The Minister of Magic had no knowledge of their work. In fact, the only people with positions of power who had any idea what kind of operation was being run out of Hogwarts were Albus Dumbledore and "Mad-Eye" Moody. This was to be kept this way, a secret to all those who didn't _need_ to know. They were called the Order of the Phoenix.

It was a small group of the strongest fighters, most just a few years out of Hogwarts themselves. Frank Longbottom and his new wife Annie Longbottom (formerly Prewett), Martin McKinnon, and Leslie Bone, lead by Arthur Weasley and guided by Moody, made up the Raiders, the first of two groups made of five amateur "soldiers" each. The second group was the Marauders, made of old friends. Guided by Arabella Figg, lead by James Potter, the group consisted of the other three boys (men? Did they ever grow up?) from Potter's Hogwarts dormitory; Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and added in for good measure was Sirius' long time girlfriend, Lily Evans.

The Marauders had already had their name before they were formed. It was natural to use that name, the title they had held for so long. Their code names were already chosen as well: Prongs for James, Padfoot for Sirius, Moony for Remus, and Peter was Wormtail. The only on who got a name after the group was formed was Lily, afterward known as Jasmine, for the pink and white exotically scented flower. They used these code names almost as much as their real names when they were amongst each other, although their purpose would be defeated if the so called soldiers used them in public. Still, all of the Marauders had become accustom to being called by their "names", and no Phoenix thought "Moony? Who the hell ... oh, that's right! Remus!" anymore, if someone used the names in a casual setting.

Lily for one, had begun to _think_ using the names, her thoughts that day running something like ... "What next? Well, I really do need to drop by the store for some groceries, and the icebox wants cleaning ... who knows what's growing in there ... but I have to meet Prongs for drinks at five to report what I found this morning outside the Malfoy estate ... which of course, can't be used as evidence with the Ministry because it was taken illegally ... damnit! After all that work! But I couldn't just leave it there ... Malfoy might have cleaned up after himself for a change ... And tonight is out as well. I have a date with Padfoot ... I guess I could cancel, but for groceries? And it has been so long since we really went out ... I am looking forward to it ... It'll have to be tomorrow then ... if I can find the time ... _When did I get so busy_?"

"Lily!" someone whispered just loud enough for Lily to hear, tearing he from her thoughts. "Jasmine!"

She spun around, looking for the one who had called her. She knew _who_ it was ... she could tell by the voice. _Where_ he was happened to be another matter entirely.

That didn't take long. Someone came up behind her and slapped her right on the back pocket of her jeans.

"Why, you little bastard!" she cried as she spun around. A dogish man, tall dark and roguishly handsome, gave her a light grin, but seemed to not acknowledge that she said anything at all. He pulled her very close, and began to kiss her, going first along her collar bone, then working his way up the side of her neck.

"Not right here Sirius!" Lily told him, but she was giggling in a giddy sort of way, and wasn't putting up a fight. She desperately hoped tha no one would choose to came down this corridor, especially not a student. "I ought to hex you right here and now."

"Oh," he said softly. "But you're so much better at charming me." He pressed his lips against hers, finally getting her to melt into him. Her body pressed against his, and she ceased to exist as a separate person.

Finally, they pulled apart. They stood in the hallway, Lily leaning against Sirius.

"Where have you been?" she asked. Her voice was breathy as she tried to slow her heart.

"Here and there," he replied. "South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, various countries in the Americas. It's amazing how many places you can go when you can apparate." His voice was very nonchalant. He grinned, but then his face faded a bit. "I saw the most beautiful sunrise on a beach on the Gulf of Mexico. I've never wished so much that you were with me. It was as if I was seeing the first sunrise ever, and there was no one there for me to share it with. It felt wasted."

"I wish I had been there," she whispered. Her hands fiddled with the short hairs on the back of his neck.

"Did you wonder what I was doing in all these places," Sirius asked after a moment.

She thought for a moment. "That's right!" she said looking up at him with a sudden look of realization. "You had time off! What did you do without me for two whole weeks?" she demanded.

"I took a good long look at my life."

"And what did you see?"

"You."

"But I thought you were looking at yourself—"

"I was. And I saw _you_."

"Sirius, I think you're getting at something, but I must say, I'm confused."

"Lily, there are four words that will change your life forever, and I want horribly to say them." She looked at him without a trace of understanding, but found a moment later, that she had to look down to see him. He was on one knee on the floor. He pulled out a little black fuzzy box covered with lint from his pocket, looked up at her, and said softly, "Will you marry me?" He opened the box, revealing a diamond ring.

It was a very small diamond on a simple gold band. Nothing fancy: none of them had money, except for James, but his was in the from of an inheritance, and he wouldn't get a knut until his parents died. Lily thought of her sister's fancy wedding, and her huge ring. She thought of her dreams about her wedding, how it was full of flowers and fancy meals. For a moment, she stood there and thought. She had never imagined getting married dirt poor, which is what they certainly were. 

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that the wedding was just one day. Years later, what happened on her wedding day wouldn't matter. What would matter was that she was with him, which was more important to her than anything else.

Lily lowered herself to her knees, so that she could almost look him in the eyes. "Of course I will." She was smiling, but a few tears managed down her cheeks. She held out her hand. "'Of course I will.'" She ticked off a finger for each word. "That's four words too."

Sirius reached out and threw his arms around her, pulling her close. The ring and lint covered box fell to the floor, forgotten. "I was so afraid you'd say no," he whispered into her ear.

She pulled back. "_No_? Do you think I could? I love you."

"Well, then you best have this," Sirius told her, locating the box that held the ring. He was just slipping it on to her finger when Remus and James came around the corner.

"Padfoot, we've been—" James stopped talking the moment he saw them. Both he and Remus stared, and them Remus burst out laughing.

"Wait till they hear this!" He cried as he began to walk back the way he had come.

"Wait till who hears what?" Lily asked.

"The world!" Remus called back. "Sirius Black getting married!" They heard the echo of his laugh as he walked away.

"Congratulations you two," James said with a wan smile. Lily got the impression that something was bothering him, but she had no idea what it could be.


	2. Her with a Capital H

SIGNED IN HIS HAND **__**

THE KING ARTHUR COMPLEX

HER WITH A CAPITAL "H"

__

October 30, 1977

James Potter was tall, a few inches more so than Sirius. But if anyone asked who was taller, the immediate answer would have been "Sirius Black, of course," for Sirius had the effect of seaming taller than he really was.

Sirius measured in a six feet even. His dark hair generally needed a cut, but somehow it always looked wrong the first few weeks after he had it trimmed. He had a sinister smile, a smirk really, which gave him an absolutely evil look that could send chills down anyone's spine, and it didn't help that he had an ever present flicker of mischief in his eyes. This made him look as if he were always up to something, which, of course, he usually was. 

A lot of that look had come form his father, a known dark wizard in his time, but it could be said that and equally large amount of that devilish charm came from the part of Sirius that liked to rebel, and found fun in breaking the rules. He had always had a way with the ladies, and had a reputation for seeing several girls at a time. _Seeing_, of course, wasn't really the word; very little of what he did was visual. This all ended when he started "seeing" Lily near the end of their last year at Hogwarts.

Lily was fairly tall, about their friend Remus Lupin's height; perhaps a bit taller. James, Remus, and Peter Pettigrew would all acknowledge that she was "pretty," but they had been fairly good friends with her since third year, and it was hard to switch over to more fitting terms such as "stunningly beautiful" after so many years. Stunningly beautiful certainly _was_ more fitting. Her bright red hair, which fell in soft curls down her back, her emerald green eyes, long lashes, and delicate freckle dusted facial features left her the classic Irish beauty.

Which leads back to James. James was a tall thin, but muscular man. He had dark hair, and quite captivating coal eyes. Unfortunately, his eyes were hidden behind the glare of his wire rimmed glasses, his hair was naturally messy beyond even magical control, and rather than tall thin and muscular, he often looked like a pole when he gave up eating in favor of working. Work left him very little time for a social life anyway, so he didn't see that his potentially good looks had gone to waste in a dark office.

For awhile, he had worn a mustache, temporarily adding some interest to his face, and his life in general, until his friends unanimously decided that he looked ridiculous with that "dead caterpillar" on his lip. He had looked ridiculous with a mustache, but his face seemed bare without it, and that mustache _had_ been the most interesting thing to happen to him, six months in either direction in time. He was almost sad to see it go, having to remind himself that it was only a mustache, and a ridiculous looking one at that. 

James was a model student, and ideal employee. He paid fairly good attention in class and at meetings, although he couldn't help but lose interest every once in a while. He was smart, making good grades in all his classes, and extremely athletic, both qualities making him desirable for the position he held with the Phoenixes. But wasn't quite sure of himself. He never had been, and he was well aware of the uncertainty. There was only one thing he had ever been sure of in his entire life. He was convinced that he would never be sure about anything else, the way he was sure that he was in love with Lily Evans.

Not that it really mattered now that She was marrying Sirius.

She, with a capital S. She was the one he sat up and wrote letters to late at night, knowing that She would never read them, because She was in love with someone else, and he wouldn't dare send them. His letters to Her—with a capital H—would be burned, or stuck in a desk drawer where She would never find them. She was the one who kept him up at night, and She was the one who's face occupied his dreams.

Not that it really mattered now that She was marrying Sirius. She, with a capital S …

"Hey, Lily, congratulations!" Arthur Weasley was saying. He had just walked into the lounge used for the Phoenixes, and had a strange grin on his face. A _knowing_ grin. "If you plan to get married anytime soon, I suggest you start planning now. You wouldn't believe all the different _things_ there are to choose from. Of course, Molly slapped me when I said we should have eloped. She spent _two years_ planing one day. The Years from Hell." He shook his head, as a few people chuckled. They had all heard about "The Years from Hell," and they had turned into something of a joke.

"Two words Lily: _Simple. Wedding_," Sirius told her. There were a few more titers as Arthur began to shake his head again.

"That's what _you_ say. _She's_ been planning this since she was old enough to think of such things. Pretty soon she'll be asking about invitations and pew bows, and other things that no one really cares about but the bride. If you want to make it easy on yourself, every time she asks if you like this cake or that cake, this ribbon or that ribbon, just say 'Whatever _you_ like is wonderful, dear.'" This time everyone in the lounge—even James—laughed.

After that, the lounge faded into light conversation. James tried to focus on the papers he was going over. Notes on Malfoy Manor, a possible cult meeting place for the Death Eaters. … He'd had them for days, something Lily had agreed to do after going over some suspicious dark arts equipment found on the Manor's grounds. But he just couldn't concentrate. His eyes kept drifting away from the pages and over to Lily.

Her hair was dangling in front of her face, like a curtain blocking her eyes from the world. She was concentrating very hard on some piece of paper or another, which she would squiggle on every few seconds with a muggle ball point pen. Arthur Weasley had taken the spot next to her on the love seat she had occupied for nearly an hour now. He was leaning in to speak to her. It was hard to tell where one red head ended and the next began.

Arthur must have said something funny, because at that moment, he leaned back against the back of the love seat and smiled hugely at the ceiling. Lily's back shook with silent laughter. Her head was propped up on the heel of her hands, with her elbows on the papers in her lap. Suddenly, she jerked up and without looking back, whacked (it was more of a tap really, but it would have been a whack had she not been weakened so be such hard laughter) Arthur on the stomach with the back of her hand. While, no doubt, this was intended as some sort of punishment for what he had said, all Lily succeeded in doing was making Arthur laugh harder. Soon, James didn't need to be discreet about watching her across the room; almost everyone in the room was looking her way—although in a somewhat irritated manner—looking for the source of the laughter that was filling the lounge.

Remus Lupin, who had been trying to sleep over in one of the corners, looked over groggily, trying to find out who was making all the noise. When he saw Lily and Arthur, he just smiled and shook his head before adjusting his position, and hoping to get back to his oh-so rudely disturbed nap. Lily had that effect on people, making them want to smile right along with her. She had an incredibly strong happy presence, and when she was near someone, it made him feel as if he had a lot to smile about. No one could be angry with Lily for long.

James certainly couldn't.

Everyone went back to their work, and Lily and Arthur finally calmed down to the point where one or the other would only giggle (Arthur Weasley sounded very strange when he giggled) occasionally. James was trying, once again, to concentrate on his papers, when he noticed that there was someone missing from the room.

Where had Sirius gone? He'd been there just a minute ago when Arthur had come in … but now he was nowhere to be seen …


End file.
